I am presently in the final year of M.Com. I was pursuing CA, but I dropped out. I want to pursue Ph.D. In which university can I pursue it ?

Anand Jain

At the outset, you will need to fix your priorities and goals. Every programme/course that you pursue leads you to a specific objective. From your query, it appears that you want to get into the teaching profession. The Ph.D. can be pursued from any university that plays host to the Department of Commerce and Management.

At this juncture it is advisable that you pursue the research programme from the university where you are studying M.Com. One of the faculty members, who is your current teacher, can act as a guide/supervisor.

You should discuss the topic that you would like to choose, understand the impacts that it will have on the field of business and take it forward. The research programme will surely last for a minimum of three years.

Most of the universities in Karnataka have a Department of Commerce and Management; some even have a separate School of Management of Studies which caters to the study of Business Administration. Pursuing Ph.D. from any of the departments will help you to achieve your goal. You can even check on the full-time Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) that offers researchers opportunities for advanced studies and research in different specialisations related to the science of management and business.

FPM is offered by the IIMs and a few business schools of repute. It makes efforts to prepare students/researchers for careers in teacher and research in management studies. Some of the FPM holders land up in the corporate world on account of the exposure that they have.

The title of FPM is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), as being equivalent to a Ph.D. degree of an accredited university. You should connect to the IIMs and also take up CAT (Common Admission Test) in order to pursue the FPM.

I am presently pursuing B.E. (Civil Engineering). I want to get into Structural Designing and other relevant areas. I would like to know what software courses and programmes I need to attend.

Usama Manna

Structural engineering deals with the analysis and design of structure that supports or resists loads. It is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering. It is applied in the design of buildings, machinery, medical equipment, vehicles or any other item where structural integrity affects the item's function or safety.

Civil engineering students making efforts to focus on structural engineering should study and understand the nuances of spreadsheet programmes, which will help them to understand the process of design. The engineers should also make use of software packages like STADD Pro, SAP 2000, ETABS and STRUDS.

Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) (www.sercm.org), Chennai, India is one of the national laboratories under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India. SERC has excellent facilities and expertise for the analysis, design and testing of structures and structural components. Connecting to SERC will help in understanding the nuances better. The SERC conducts the two-year, four-semester Post-Graduate Research Programme (PGRP) which is uniquely positioned in the industry. For more information, contact: SERC, CSIR Campus, Taramani, Chennai-600 113. Ph: 044-22542139. E-mail: director@sercm.org

I am in II PUC Science. I want to pursue a course in mass media and related fields. What are the required talents? Which are the good institutions offering a degree in Mass Media? What is the scope for this field? I am also confused. Will a person with science background fit the bill for a mass media programme?

Anagha

Mass media reaches out to and influences large numbers of people through the tools of newspapers, popular magazines, radio and television. It is a means of communication that is technologically capable of reaching to most people and in an affordable manner. So, being part of it, one can provide information and inputs that would help in the creation of an opinion that would usher in change.

As far as the talents are concerned, one should be creative, have an inclination to put in long hours of work, and empathise with the happenings in society. You can contact the following institutes for more information:

Convergence Institute of Media, Management and Information Technology Studies (COMMITS). Ph: 25530923.

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), an internationally renowned centre for training and research in Mass Communication. IIMC is an autonomous body funded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and has a campus in New Delhi.

I will graduate in law in 2012. Is it compulsory to attempt the Law Graduate test?

Anirudh

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has made the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) mandatory for all law graduates who have passed in the academic year 2009-10 onwards to practice law in India. The BCI will conduct the AIBE in nine languages across 27 cities in India.

The BCI will be providing preparatory materials (in nine languages) for this examination to all candidates. The application forms (along with an instruction sheet) are available at all State Bar Councils and at the Bar Council of India in New Delhi.

The candidates can also apply online for the AIBE.

Candidates may contact BCI for further queries at Ph: 011-49225022, 49225023. e-mail: barexam@barcouncilofindia.org

I will be completing B.A. (History, Economics and Political Science) in 2012 (April/May) in the correspondence mode. I will be 20 years old then. Are there any opportunities to join the India military?

Thirunarayana

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Combined Defence Service Examination (CDSE) twice a year for recruitment to the following:

Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun; Naval Academy, Goa; Air Force Academy, Begumpet, Hyderabad; Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai

Educational qualifications: For IMA /OTA: A degree from a recognised University or equivalent. For Naval Academy: B.Sc. with Physics and/or Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering. For Air Force Academy: B.Sc. of a recognised university or equivalent with Physics and/or Mathematics as subjects or Bachelor of Engineering.

Age criterion: For IMA: Unmarried male candidates between 19-24 years as on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the year of examination.

For Naval Academy: Unmarried male candidates between 19-22 years as on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the year of examination.

For Air Force Academy: Unmarried male candidates between 19-23 years as on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the year of examination.

For Officers Training Academy: Male candidates (married or unmarried) between 19-25 years as on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the year of examination.

The CDSE has two components: i) written examination and ii) interview for intelligence and personality test that are conducted at the selection centres located in different parts of the country.

The following are the papers of each of the designated Services:

Indian Military Academy/Naval Academy and Air Force Academy: a) English b) General Knowledge and c) Elementary Mathematics

Officers Training Academy: 1. English and 2. General Knowledge

Check Employment News and other national dailies for the advertisement and information on CDSE.

End.